Desires are to be sublimated not destroyed during Ramadhan<\/p>\n
Muhamad Ali, Jakarta<\/p>\n
The recent incidents of raids against Jakarta nightspots and
\nthe erecting of a wall to block access to a Catholic school in
\nTangerang indicate that religious and moral tolerance are
\ndifficult for some to uphold. Anarchism and vandalism have become
\nan alternative means for a few hard-liners to enforce their
\nreligious claim that they must \"enjoin the good and forbid the
\nevils\" and to prevent others from converting their
\ncoreligionists.<\/p>\n
First of all, miscommunication and a mismanagement of law and
\norder prevail in Jakarta and some other areas. The local
\ngovernment has, in these cases, failed to ensure that the public
\nare aware of their rights in regards nightspots and religious
\nfacilities and activities, and thus more public communication and
\ncoordination are desperately needed.<\/p>\n
What is equally crucial is educating different groups of
\npeople in this country to understand and apply the values of
\nreligious and moral tolerance in their daily lives everywhere and
\nat all times.<\/p>\n
It is not correct to simply assume that during Ramadhan, all
\nnightspots, including cafes, should be closed. This amounts to
\neliminating human desires, or hawa nafsu, through destruction,
\nrather than control. The intention of fasting is not, in my view,
\nto stamp out desire by destructive, vandalistic acts. Fasting
\nMuslims can live side by side with non-fasting Muslims and non-
\nMuslims. Tolerance and respect are not only expected from those
\nwho do not fast, but also from those who do.<\/p>\n
Mutual respect should be the meaning of Ramadhan.<\/p>\n
Human desire should not be destroyed completely. Islam never
\nteaches us this is so. The intended meaning of Ramadhan is to
\ncontrol human desire in a way to rein in extravagances and
\nextremes. To destroy is also an evil that should be avoided.
\nMuslims should refrain from vandalism because this is also a
\nmoral extravagance.<\/p>\n
To live in a majority Muslim country is sometimes difficult
\nfor non-Muslims, although this is not always so. In most places
\nhere, like in Ambon and Manado, people respect each other and
\ntheir chosen way of life during Ramadhan.<\/p>\n
On the other hand, fasting in a non-Muslim environment, like
\nin Hawaii, has greater moral challenges. Human desires are
\nvulgar: Most people around you do not fast, and eat, drink, kiss
\nin public, or dress sexily. There, however, these things can and
\nshould be tolerated. We cannot force others to believe as we
\nbelieve to be \"right\" or \"ethical\".<\/p>\n
Often, our concepts of what is good and right are not the
\nsame, and often contradictory. This is because ethics is
\nincreasingly a subtle human problem and peoples from different
\nreligions and cultures differ -- and will always differ.<\/p>\n
Tolerance is supposedly the ethic that all should endorse.
\nTolerance of ethical values and norms is indeed very hard in any
\nsociety, including in the West. One example is those whose
\napproach tends to be militaristic. It is hard to ask American and
\nIraqi soldiers, for example, to refrain from attacking mosques in
\nIraq simply because they believe insurgents are hiding there,
\nwithout their appreciating the sacredness of religious shrines
\nand sites and comprehending the value of tolerance. A
\nmilitaristic way of thinking is almost always physical -- there
\nis little room for dialog. And it is a disaster for humanity.<\/p>\n
It is precisely the lack, if not absence, of dialog that
\ncompound the effort to establish and maintain a harmonious state
\nof coexistence among people with different backgrounds and
\ninterests. The government, or the military, tends to be
\ninterested only in making regulations and enforcing them through
\nphysical force. The public who become frustrated and do not
\nunderstand the value of tolerance tend to act anarchically.<\/p>\n
Conversions of faith and missionary activities have always
\nbeen a sensitive issue in Indonesia, where proselytizing
\nreligions like Islam and Christianity exist. Some regulations
\nhave been set regarding the construction of religious venues and
\nthe activities of a mission, although these were often urged by a
\nsingle party, rather than from all parties representing religious
\ncommunities. Some skepticism exists over several of these
\nregulations. It is therefore imperative to rethink those
\nregulations concerning different religious communities at
\nnational and local levels.<\/p>\n
Our nation should move toward upholding the freedom of
\nreligion, even during Ramadhan, and in no way should Ramadhan
\nbecome a pretext for anarchism according to a particular
\nperspective on religious ethics.<\/p>\n
We do not know whether our God loves what we do simply because
\nwe believe this to be true. Our own beliefs should be looked at
\nin relation with others' beliefs. In many cases, we can simply
\ntolerate others' beliefs and ensuing actions as long as they do
\nnot harm our well-being.<\/p>\n
Religious and moral tolerance are indeed very challenging, but
\nnoble values. If everyone agrees to disagree and can work out
\nways that allows us to respect and support each other for the
\ngoodness of all, then Ramadhan is truly a blessing -- not only
\nfor those who fast and observe its rituals, but also for those
\nwho do not.<\/p>\n
This is the essence of the tenet rahmatan lil-alamin: Islam as
\na blessing for all beings.<\/p>\n
The writer, a lecturer at Syarif Hidayatullah State Islamic
\nUniversity (UIN), is pursuing a Ph.D. in History as a fellow at
\nthe East-West Center, Hawaii. He can be contacted at
\nmuhali74@hotmail.com.<\/p>",
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